Mechanism for inking the printing surfaces of rotary intaglio printing machines



Jan 25, 1932. F. SPENCE 1,843,048

MECHANISM FOR INKING THE PRINTING SURFACES OF ROTARY INTAGLIO PRINTING MACHINES Filed May 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 26, 1932. SPENCE 1,843,048

MECHANISM FOR INKING THE PRINTING SURFACES OF ROTARY INTAGLIO PRINTING MACHINES Filed May 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 structio'nal form' of 5 Figure 1.

Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRED-SPENCE, OF SALE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB T0 LINOTYPE AND MACHINERY LIMITED,

' i 0F LON-DON, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY mEcnANIsMroR INK'ING THE PRINTING SURFACES or ROTARY INTAGLIO PRINTING Y Y I MACHINES Application fiI-egLMay 12, 1931, Serial No. 536,711, and in Great Britain May is, 1930.

' This invention relates to mechanism for inkingthe printing'surfaces of rotary intaglio printingmachines and hasfor its object so to construct such mechanism as to provide new or improvedfacilities for cleaning is so mounted'as to be adjustable to bring the inking roller into and outof contact with the printing surface Without disturbing the 'driving connections of the said roller, and the ink trough is also adjustable into and out of 1 Operative position, the movement of the trough out of operative position being arranged to bringf'said trough into alignment with tracks :to facilitate its removal from the machine when desired.

The invention is hereinafter more particu larly described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating sufficient of a rotary intaglio printing machine to show the application thereto of apreferred coni apparatus according to the invention.

'In'the said drawings ze a Figure 1, isa front elevation, partly broken away;

30 I F igure'2 is a centralvertical-section, looking in the direction of the arrow A in F ig-' ure 1,and r V Figure 3 is a corresponding vertical sect-ion looking in the direction of the arrow B in The machine chosen for illustration comprisesside frames 1, an impression cylinder 2 and plate cylinder 3, the printing plate on the latter being inked by a'roller 4, which in the normal operationof the machine is rotated within an ink trough 5. a

According to the invention, the inking roller 4 is carried on a spindle 6 journalled at its opposite'ends in the downwardly extending arms of two swingable brackets or frames 7 which are co-axiallypivoted each to the respectively adjacent side frame 1 of the machine. i

' Each bracket 7 is provided with a substanmany horizontal arm 8, one of which (that co-axial with, and fast to, the plate cylinder 3, and the wheel 11 is in positive driving connection, through intermediate gears 13, 14 with a pinion 15 fast on the ink roller spindle 6.

The intermediate gears 13, 14, are fast to a short shaft 16 journalled in the respective bracket 7. The ink roller pinion l5 and the wheel 14 meshing therewith, are enclosed within a casing 18 to protect them from contact with the ink in the trough 5.

The before-mentioned hand lever 9 is fast on one end of a rock shaft 19 extending transversely of the machine, while on the other end of this shaft is secured an arm 20 (see particularly Figure 3) in linked connection with the second of the two before-mentioned arms 8. The two links 21 connecting the arms 8 with the hand lever 9 and arm 20, are each formed in two parts adjustably connected together by a turnbuckle 22, by means of v which the setting of the ink roller 4 relatively to the plate cylinder 3 can be accurately and conveniently efiected.

The hand lever 9 is located in close adjacency to a stationary bracket 23, and can be retained in either of its terminal positions by a pin 24 insertable through it and into holes in said bracket, while, moreover, the rock shaft 19 has fast thereon, a boss carrying two stop-arms 25, 26, the latter adjustable, which by contacting with a part of the machine frame, determine the said terminal positions and limit the extent of swing of the inkroller towards and away from the plate cylinder.

' The ink trough 5 is carried at its ends on two supports or rails 27- which when the machine is running in printing condition, supportlthe ink trough 5 in the position in which it is shown on the drawings, the ink roller 4then lying within the trough.

2: v v I 1,843,048

cidentally shifted on; the rails Q'Zwhem in" raised or normal positiona Vl hen,.l1'owever,

the said rails are brought to their lowermost position; the clips 28" are brought" into contact with fixed rails 27 and are thereby re-- leased' from the ribs 29 sov as to.leave.the

trough 5 'free for removal; ,The rails 27 are out such dimens ons and arrangement that when they are in theiri'l'ow ermost positionthey align with, and form virtual continuations oi, fixed horizentai tracks 30, so: that the'trough- 5,. then released from the rails as-justdescribed can-be slidden oiiithe-latter and over the/tracks- 30, to a posit-ion rem'o ts from} the ink roller i, such Irrevemeat oi the ink trough, .iii' desired, beingsu l'fficient to permit of its bodily removal from the machine; v V I -,llie raising and leweringof' the rails 2'? may be efi'ected by any suitable meansi. In, the" example illustrated in the drawings, said I rails? are secured to'the; upper end-snot two verticalscrews 3i guided in stationary brackets and on which there threadedtwonuts 33,: which, though revol-vable, are se cured against axial: movement. .EX-ternall-y;

these" nuts 3-3 are formed with spiral gear teeth to mesh with correspondingly toothed wheelsf3d, both'fa-st to-atransverse shaiit 35. l his shaft nay be conveniently" rotated by a chain36- and sprockets 37v tronr a hand wheel 38-.whoseshaft is rotatable in a hired bracket 39;;preierably, this bracket 39 is provided with a-pinching screw 40 adopted to engage said shatt and: thereby lock thesupportin-g rails ,27 and trough 5-at any desired height.

Having'described my invention, L declarethat what I- claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1 In; inking mechanism of rotary intaglio printing machines,- the combination-with an ink trough, ink.- roller, and means operable to'rotate'the ink roller within the trough normall in contact with thep'rinting surface on the plate cylinder, of bearings for the ink roller spindle, adjustable independently 0t the: ink trough tobringthe roller into andout of contact with the printing surface, without disturbing the driving connections through which the spindle isrotated.

2. In inking mechanism of rotary intaglio v printing machines, the combination 'with an ink trough, an ink roller rotatable withinthetrough, and gearing operative to transmit rotary motion to the ink roller,'of bracketsrotatably supporting; the ink roller spindle and angularly adjustable about the'axisof a member of the gearing to enable the ink roller to be swung into and out of contact with the printing surface on the plate cylinder, without disturbing the driving connections throughwwhich the inkroller isrotated.

'3', ,Ingin king mechanismof rotaryintaglio printing machines the combination with an ink t'r'ough, an ink roller rota-table within the trough. a plate: cylinder, :1 gear wheel. operas tiavely fast tethe plate-cylinder, and gearing operativeto transmit rotary motion from the plate-cylinderi-tta the ink roller", of brackets rota-tably supporting the ink roller spindle and ,angularly adjustable about, the axis of a member of the gearing; to enable the ink roller to be swung intofancl outlof: contact with the printing surfaceon the plate cylin der, without disturbing tlie driving,,connectionsibetwee'n the gear-wheelfastto the plate cylinder and theinkroll'err 45. Inking mechanism accordihg to claim 2,

characterized, by a hand lever adj;us'tahle about a. fixed axis, to effect the swingin ;,of theinkroller,connecting means betweenthat lever and the brackets. sup'porting lthe ink-v roller spindle, and stopsdeterminingthe op: erative and. inoperative positions or; the ink roller V r 4 i I 5, Inkingmechanisnr according to cram-12;. characterizedlnby a hand. lever. adjiistable about i a, likedaxis, to effect the, swinging, of the ink roller,connectingmeansbetweentthat lever and: the brackets sul'aporting thefink roller spindle, stopsdet'e'rminiiig,,the' peras tive and inoperative positions'ofthe ink roll er and" adjustable connections between the hand lever and the Brackets. for varyingj'the operative position ofthe' ink roller.

inking mechanism of rotary intaglio printing macliines,. the combination with an ink trough, an ink roller, and means operable to rotate the ink roller within the tro gh normallyin contactwith the printingslirtace on the plate cylinder, of bearings for the ink roller spindle, adjustable independently of 1m theink" trough tobfring tlie roller intdandout of contact with the printing; surface, without disturbing; the drivingcolinections through which-.thes'pindle is rotated, and supports for the ink trough movable tobring said trough into andout of; operative relation to the ink roller. p J

7 In inking mechanisrn of printing machines, the combination with an inktrou'gh', an ink rol'ler, and means operable to rotate the ink roller within the trough normally in contact with the printing; surface on the plate; cylinder, of bearings-for the ink roller spindle, v 7 adjustable; independently 5 of the ink trough to bring the roller, into, and out of contact with the printing surface, with out disturbing, the driving; connectionsthrough which the spindle is" rotated,.-sup'-,

rotary 'intaglioi to the ink roller, and on and off which the trough can be slidden, and stationary tracks with which the supports are alignable and along which the trough can be traversed during such alignment.

8. In inking mechanism of rotary intaglio printing machines, the combination with an ink trough, an ink roller, and means operable to rotate the ink roller within the trough normally in contact with the printing surface on the plate cylinder, of bearings for the ink roller spindle, adjustable independently of the ink trough to bring the roller into and out of contact with the printing surface, without disturbing the driving connections through which the spindle is rotated, supports for the ink trough movable to bring said trough into and out of operative relation to theink roller, and on and off which the trough can be slidden, stationary tracks with which the supports are alignable and along which the trough can be traversed during such alignment, clips adapted to secure the trough on the supports, and abutm'ents in the paths of said clips adapted automatically to release the clips when the supports are aligned with the stationary tracks.

9. In inking mechanism of rotary intaglio printing machines, the combination with an ink trough, an ink roller, and means operable to rotate the ink roller within the trough normally in contact with the printing surface on the plate cylinder, of bearings for the ink roller spindle, adjustable independently of the ink trough to bring the roller into and out of contact with the printing surface, without disturbing the driving connections through which the spindle is rotated, supports for the ink trough movable to bring said trough into and out of operative relation to the ink roller, and on and oil which the trough can be slidden, stationary tracks with which the supports are alignable and along which the trough can be traversed during such alignment, raising and lowering means for the ink trough supports, and locking means adapted to'secure said supports in any desired position relatively to the ink roller.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature hereto.

FRED SPENCE. 

